Farmers, elected officials and water experts gathered in Colby today (THUR) to talk about ways to preserve the Ogallala Aquifer, which provides much of the water used in parts of western Kansas. The amount of water in the aquifer has been dropping because it's being used faster than it can be replenished. Irrigating crops is the single largest use of the water. Governor Sam Brownback organized the water summit.
Brownback called for repealing the so-called "use-it-or-lose-it" provision in water law. That rule says farmers can lose water rights if they aren't using them, and it can discourage farmers from cutting back on water use.